Profile
“I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
Daniel Simunac has nearly 25 years of private debt portfolio management experience across North America, leading teams at Canadian, US, and European financial institutions, including Sun Life Financial, TD Bank, Allied Irish Bank, and Raymond James Bank.
Prior to Stonebridge Financial, Simunac served as head of two new banks entering Canada, building each into top 25 commercial lenders in the country by assets. To date in his career, he has underwritten $15 billion of loans across infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, real estate and corporate sectors.
In terms of industry involvement, Simunac has chaired the Association for Corporate Growth’s (ACG) annual private equity conference, Queen’s University’s “Institutional Real Estate Investment Conference” and created and served as inaugural chair of the “Lender Committee” for the Real Property Association of Canada (Realpac). Aside from co-authoring Realpac’s investment and finance industry handbook, he also created and teaches its “Lending in Commercial Real Estate” course, now in its 11th year.
In terms of community engagement, Simunac served as a director of West Park Hospital between 2010 and 2019 and has chaired its annual “Tournament of Stars NBA Celebrity Charity Event” for the last five years. He has also served on the board of Opportunity International Canada, a not-for-profit microfinance lender to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
In terms of peer recognition, he is a recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from ACG Canada, the “Distinguished Service Award” from the Raymond James Charitable Foundation, and has been named “Executive of the Year” by the Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce.
Simunac is a graduate of the School of Architecture (Faculty of Engineering) at Toronto Metropolitan University, holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) completed at the Rotman School of Management. At the time completion, he was the youngest ICD.D graduate (at age 33) among its 2,000 members.
20 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON
416 364 3001
Info@Stonebridge.ca
linkedin.com/company/stonebridge-financial-corporation/?viewAsMember=true
Stonebridge.ca
Daniel Simunac
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Stonebridge Financial
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“To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
2000–2004
2004–2006
2007–2012
2012–2023
2023–present
Sun Life Financial and London Guarantee
Mortgage Investments and Construction Financing
2000–
2004
TD Bank and TD Securities
Commercial Lending and Securitization
2004–
2006
Allied Irish Bank (Head of Canada)
Infrastructure, Renewable Power, Corporate and Real Estate Credit
2007–
2012
Raymond James Bank (Head of Canada)
Infrastructure, Renewable Power, Healthcare, Corporate and Real Estate Credit
2012–
2023
Stonebridge Financial (Co-CEO)
Infrastructure, Renewable Power, Healthcare, Corporate and Real Estate Credit
2023–
present
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
How does he distinguish himself among fellow brokers?
“I believe all brokers are working very hard in a difficult market,” he says. “However, I have demonstrated continued growth, advocacy and performance on my client’s behalf, which is now recognised [for 10 consecutive years] in the Elite Broker awards.”
In 1990, Dixon got started with FAI, working in claims and as a team leader. From the late 1990s up until 2003, he worked at FAI and Suncorp in underwriting and as an area manager at VACC, CGU (South East Queensland). From 2003 to 2012, he got into broking and eventually started Dixon Insurance in 2013. Since then, he’s accumulated numerous acccolades, including Elite Broker, Diversity and Equity, and Fast Broker awards.
During the pandemic, Dixon challenged insurers over the Quarantine Act application to insurance wordings. His argument was that the Quarantine Act does not apply as an exclusion, as the Biosecurity Act was invoked by the Morrison Government, and this was not a subsequent amendment to the Quarantine Act. The test case in the Appeals court was won for Dixon’s client with a unanimous five-judge verdict.
He remains focused on transport, manufacturing, motor trade, engineering and large farm clients.
What are his plans for the future?
On a business level, “more of the same. I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes.”
On a personal level, Dixon invests significant time, effort and funds, along with his GT3, to support many charities through his passion for motorsport. From participating in and sponsoring the Thunderbolt Run (which provides tens of thousands of dollars in support for Beyond Blue and Prostate Cancer), to organising and running the Track Knights for Amira charity night where 28 Exotic Supercars raised funds through passenger laps in wet conditions, Dixon states “this is our time to give back to the community and those in need. My friendships and association with those seeking to do the same, allows us to contribute to those less fortunate and raise funds and awareness”.
He adds: “To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need.”